Hello Passionate readers! Today on Nights of Passion I have author Belle Ami talking about her experience at the 2017 Romance Writers of America annual convention. I was sad to miss RWA’s mega meeting this year (affectionately called “Nationals” by those of us in the romance writing world.) Belle will fill us in on the highlights of what we missed! (By the way, I have heard Damon Suede speak at a RWA chapter, CTRWA, meeting this year and I learned quite a lot from him!)

Having just returned from the RWA conference, I thought it would be interesting to discuss the pleasures derived from getting out from behind your computer and intermingling with fellow authors. Writing is such a solitary endeavor that we, as authors, often live in a vacuum. We spend our days fighting for the time to write between family commitments, and we struggle to market ourselves and our books, hoping to find a measure of success and an audience. Let’s face it, life just gets in the way. Every day we face frustration and obstacles, yet we pursue because writing is who we are, it’s what we love, it defines us.

RWA is an opportunity to recharge, find inspiration, and know that we are not alone in the creative world. If you have a problem, whether it be finding time for your writing, organizing your priorities, creative stagnation, fresh marketing ideas, or any other author ailment, I can assure you it will be, and is, addressed at the conference by authors just like you who have struggled to find success and have found real solutions that they are willing to share.

Even the keynote speech given by bestselling author, Susan Wiggs, was a lesson in patience and stick-to-itiveness, labeling herself, “the thirty-year, overnight sensation.” Believe me it wasn’t lost on me that if it takes that long I’ll be writing my bestseller behind the pearly gates of heaven, and I’ll have to forego all eroticism. No sexy love scenes, I shudder to think how boring that would be. But then, I have no intention of going to Hell just to derive a little lascivious pleasure even if it’s in the purpose of my passion for the printed word.

Just to add a little flavor and enticement, one of the seminars I attended was given by award winning author, Damon Suede. His presentation entitled Power Couples: Making Lovers, was a total inspiration, practical, and hysterically funny (he’s clearly a brilliant madman). The description in the catalog reads: “Great romance starts with fascinating relationships: it takes two to tangle. Bring your fictional folks to the next level with a simple, powerful technique that will strengthen your ideas, your voice, and your projects. During this session, we’ll tackle a characterization strategy that goes beyond boilerplate traits to build the perfect duo and amp the action, attraction, and interaction between them. Whether you like to wing it or bring it, you’ll leave this workshop with a new set of practical, hands-on approaches to making lovers who pop off the page.”

Wow, did he deliver. From my notes on Damon’s session:

ENERGY: the active forces which drive your story FIRE & WIRE

TENSION: suspension between two possibilities creates attention

TRANSFORMATION: Amplification of stakes sustains reader interest. Everything must matter in a book nothing is random

Damon’s session was only one of umpteen that I attended. There was so much great advice and inspiration.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t include the benefits of fellowship and camaraderie to be found from meeting authors you’ve only had contact with in cyberspace and social media. All in all, RWA Conference is a satisfying and worthy experience that should not be missed. I look forward to meeting you all next July 18 through the 21st in Denver, Colorado.

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